The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has welcomed the State Government’s plans to strengthen and improve rail freight capacity in the Murray Basin.
MAV President Cr Bill McArthur said the association had been advocating for significant improvements to Victoria’s regional freight routes for some time and the Murray Basin Rail Project would be a great win for communities and councils in the state’s north.
The State Government commitment of up to $220 million towards the $416 million Murray Basin Rail Project would see lines standardised and reopened, links to regional ports fixed, and improvements made to interstate freight connections.
“Local communities on road freight paths, including those living in Melbourne’s inner western suburbs near the Port of Melbourne, would also benefit from the Murray Basin Rail Project through less truck traffic and resultant diesel emissions.
“Shifting freight from road to rail in the northern region will also help reduce the amount of wear and tear to local road networks that currently support these freight movements.
“While there is still a strong need for further funding to help local councils maintain local road networks, moving freight from road to rail is definitely a step in the right direction.”
“The MAV’s ‘Call to Parties’ framework ahead of last year’s State Election highlighted the need for designated local road freight route funding to be prioritised, including funding for road and rail upgrades identified through regional freight plans.”
The project is reliant on equal co-contribution from the Federal Government to go ahead.
